Shock absorber



Dec. 27, 1927.

L. H. WHEELER SHOCK ABSORBER Original Filed April '7, 1923 Mam/fag.

Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

-WI '1: me

'r orric LEONARD H. WHEELER, OF CHCAGO, ILLINOS, ASSIGNOR T STEWRT-VARNER SPEEDOMETER CORPORATIDN, GNIA.

orcnoAeO, unimore, A oonronnronr or vinsl SHOCK ABSORBER.

Application led April 7',v 1923. Serial No. 6315,43?. l Renewed May 31, 1927.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved constructon in a rebound check ior spring 'vehicles oi? the type coininonly called snubbersf7 lt consists ot the elements and i aturesy olf coiistruction shown and described as indicated in the claims.

lin tire drawings l Figure l is a side elevation olf a eonstruction n einbodying` this invention, shown mounted in connection with the chassis and axle ot the Vehicle to be served thereby.

Figure 2 is an axial section of the device, as at tire line,i 2--2, on Figure l.

y Figure FiO'ure l'.

Aeures LlV and 5 are sections at* the line, eine on Figure 2, looking in opposite directions, as indi lated by the arrows, el, o, respectively, on said Figure Figure 6 is a detail View of the fastening of the cable employed a a flexible connector, to the springy taire-up pulley.

Figure 7 is an edge View o't tlie fixed druiu and tlie tale-up pulley at the side at which tne cable runs ironl the pulley to the druin,

Figure 8 is a section at the line, 8-E5, on Figure 't .ln tbe construction shown in tbe drawings, A represents a s'de bar of the chassis of 'vehicle equipped with this invention; B the fixed axle upon Which the vehicle spring is inounted for reaction between the Vehicle body and the axle. l, i s a fixed druiu which mounted upon the trarne bar7 A,

3 is a section at the line, on

as hereinafter inore particularly described..

is a flexible connector troni tlie rebound circoli: device mounted on the traine, to the arid beingl in the torni of a cable Wouiul preferably inore than one about the druni, l, which is provided with a spi al `groove, l, for seatingtbe cable `Wiinlings. 3 is a druni or pulley, which is mounted for rotation upon a stud axle, l, of the drum, l, and connected therewith by coil spring', the inner coil of which is rnade fast to asleere, 6, which' in operation of the device is rigid with the stud axle, as hereinafter more particularly explained, and Whose outer `coil is made tast to the inner side of the peripheral flange, 3a, or the Spring drinn or take-up pulley,` 3. The cable connector, 2, kie attached by clips,", l, to the periphery of the takeup pulley, 8, and runslfroni its attachment in a i-rooie, 3, 'formed :ior seating the cable on tlie periphery ot the pulley and from saidV groove into the adjacent groove, la, otlie drinn, l, troni the opposite end of which groove, l, it runs down to its attaclnnentf by ineans of bracket, 8, or any other convenient means, to the axle Bf ille inodel or' operation ot' `the device, as thus far described, will be understood to be that, in the original mounting, the con nector cable7 2, makes nearlya full turn around the take-up pulley, and .nearly three turns in tbe spiral groove, l, around the liXed druni, and is pulleddown, tensioningA the spring, 5, to the desired degree deterni'ned by experience in yiew of the load on the vehicle springs, and is then clamped to the bracket, 8. lVhen tbe Vehicle body is depressed toward the axle by the jolting of the load when the vehicle is passingorer irregularities in tbe trac-lr, the cable is slee-lied in the spiral groove of tbe iixed drinn, and tbe take-up pulley, 3, under the stress olI the spring 5, takes up this slack. winding the cable in tbe groove of the pulley, cans` ing it toslip in the spiral grooveot' the drinn; and upon the rebound, the cable being' thus held snugly in tbe spiral groove, ope"- ates by friction therein to check the rebound, which can occur only by the slipping ot' the cable in the grooresand unwnding from the pulley, which is thereby rotated in direction to tighten the. spring, 5. The -operationv` asthus described. Will be recognized as in accordance with the familiar action ot rebound checks ot the snubber type.

The present invention is concerned with details or construction, particularly with respect to the ineans for mountingl the iXed friction druni on the traine, and ineens for tensioi'iing` the spring, 5 and the expedient 'for tiansterrinp` tbe cable Winding from the single groove ot' the pulley to the spiral groove of the drum, and Vice versa, in `the rotation of the pulley for "tightening the springend its reversal for taking up tbe slack ot the cable.

sor

For securing the drum to the vehicle frame bar, A, there is provided a mounting device, 10, which consists ot a dish, 10, having a central bolt aperture and an annular serrated area, 10", around the bolt aperture at one side. This disk has a radial arm, 10` which has a projection, 10d, extending laterally away from thesde of the disk which has the serrated area mentioned. The drum, l, has its Web 1d, centrally apertured for` the stud axle, 4, which also serves as about to be described, as a means for clamping the drum to the frame; `and saidweb has around the stud axle bolt aperturean annular serrated area, l", corresponding to and adaptedto cooperate with the serrated area, 10b, el' the mounting member,'10. The stud axle, et, is in the form of a bolt, adapted to be inserted through the bolt hole, a, provided in the vehicle :trame bar, A, having its head, Il, at the inner side of the lrame bar. The bolt extends through the central bolt aperture ol' the dislr,10, and is threaded at 4e tor screwing into the central aperture ol` the Web,

1d, of the drum, 1, which is interiorly threaded 'for that purpose.

i The stud axle bol 4.-, is reduced in dialneter `as to the portion of its length beyond the web, 1d, of the drum, Jforming a shoulder, de, Jfor stopping endwise the sleeve, 6, hereinabove mentioned. lThe sleeve, 6, is assembled With the pulley, S, and spring, 5, by first securing the inner coil of the spring to the sleeve, then applying the pulley onto the inner end of the sleeve, the pulley having an` annular flange, 3, at its inner circumference tor seating rotatably on the sleeve. The oul-J er coil of the spring is then secured to the outer flange, 3a, of the pulley7 and the entire assemblage is introduced onto the reduced portion, Il?, of the stud axle bolt, fl. A cas ing, 12, `is provided for enclosing the drum, cable, pulley and spring, said casing `having a central aperture lor fitting rotatably on the sleeve, 6, outside the spring, The end of the sleeve which `projects a short distance beyond the casing is squared, as seen at 6",`to receive a spring disk, 13, having a square aperture at the center to fit the squared end ol' the sleeve, and, having at its periphery, spring fingers, 13, 'for bearing on the casing to hold it snugly in position With the edge of its peripheral flange, 139,`

stopped against a marginal` peripheral flange, 1g, provided at the opposite or inner side ot the drum, 1. The end ofthe stud axle bolt is threaded to receive a nut, 15, which, being `screivedon to the stud axle bolt, retains the disk spring, 13, ,on the squared fend of the sleeve and clainpsthe sleeve against the shoulder, 4e, of the. stud axle bolt, rendering the sleeve rigid with the stud bolt. y .Y

The length of the radial arm of the mounting member, l0, is designed to be conintense siderably more than the distance ot' the holt hole in the i' ame bar, ed to the outer edge or corner ol a trame bar of minimum dimensions, and long enough so that the lateral projection, 10d, ot said radial arm may Vbolt hole which is customarily provided in `the side bars el automobile chassis ot verf.

ingl dimensions, the stress olf the connector cable tending to rotate the entire structure on the securing bolt and stud aide, ope ating to swing the radial arm of the mounting member. about the bolt until the projcctioi'i,

' 10d, is stopped against the under side ot the trame bar, the swing being more or less as the dimension of the Itrame har is less or more, but the security ol the fastening be' ing as complete in one case as in the other.

,The purpose ot the squared conncctionol the spring disk, 13, to the sleeve, (S, to adapt the spring disk to serve as a handle for rotating the sleeve to initially tension the spring, 5, the nut, l5, being, of course, slaclted for the purpose and tightened to hold the sleeve, and thereby the inner coil of the spring, securely as adjusted.

It will he noted from Figure 7 tliatfthe coil of the cable lying in the groove, 3b, ot

the pulley, 3, runs normally and readily therefrom into the entering end et the spiral groove, 1, of the drum when the cable is be` ing pulled from the drinn, when the vehicle is rebounding alter a depression; and that the cable will with equal jl'acility be drawn back into the groove ot' the pulley when the vehicle is being depressed and the cable is slaelred on the drum and `the spring, 5, reacting lfortaking up the slack; and it will be observed that the dimensional relation lie-- tween the pulley and the drum, the two be ing equal in outside dia1ncter,ainl the spiral groove ot the drum running out at the edge adjacent to the pulley, andthe groove oit' the pulley being substantially as near the face ot1 the pulley which is adjacent to the face of the drum as the normal distance ha tween the coils ol' the spiral groove of the drum, facilitate this transler oit the cable from drum to pulley and pulley to drum in the back and forth oscillation ol. the pulley.

I claim:-

1. In a snubber, comprising a hired triction member, a flexible connector wrapping the friction member, and a spring lior re` tracting the flexible connector around the fixed member; a mounting device :tor securing the fixed friction member to the vehicle, consisting ot a disk having a bolt aperture, and at one side an annular serrated area around said aperture, and having a radially ill! lill

lili;

l fill extending arm provided with a projection away from the serrated side ofthe dislr; the

' iixed friction member having a central bolt hole and an annular4 serrated area corresponding to and adapted to `co-operate with the annular serrated area of the disk, and

foregoing, a casing enclosing the fixed friction member, the flexible connector thereon and the connector retracting spring, said casing having a` peripheral aperture for emergence of the flexible connector, and being rotatably mounted k'about said fixed friction member, the latter having an axial stem for so mounting the casing; spring disk on the protruding end of said stem peripherally bearing on the casing, and a nut screwed into said stein for tensioningthe disk against the casing for holding it yieldingiy subject to rotation, for positioning the peripheral aperture in accordancewith the direction of einergence of the flexible connector.

3. lfn a snubber, in combination with a fixed drum, a iiexible connector wound upon the drum for friction thereabout; a spring coiled about the drinn axis having' its outer end connected with the flexible connector; the drum having a fixed stud axle, a sleeve on said stud axle to which the inner end of the coiled spring is secured; aspring dislr connected for rotation with said sleeve, whereby the spring disk is adapted to serve as a handle for rotating the sleeve to tension the spring, and a nut on the stud axle for clamping the sleeve and disk to the stud axle against rotation thereabout.

Ll. ln a snubber, in combination with a fixed friction drum having a spiral groove for seating a cable connector, a spring actuated pulley hav-ing substantially the same dia neter as the drinn and having a groove for winding the cableV thereon, the groove of the drum emerging laterally with respect to the drum at the side adjacent the pulley, and the pulley groove being closely proximate to 'the side of the pulley adjacent the drum the groove of the drum being sloped as todepth for a short distance back of the said lateral emergence so as to emerge with negligible depth, whereby the cable may pass over into the groove of the pulley without abrupt bending' to climb onto the -marginal wall of the pulley groove.

in a shoel; absorberadapted to be secured to a vehicle frame, comprising a strap for actuating said shock absorber, a bolt extending through said shock absorber and vehicle f' xine, a mounting device eo-operating with said bolt forv securing said shock absorber to said vehicleframe, said mounting device consisting of a disk formed with a bolt hole, and at one side formed with an annular serrated face around said bolt hole, an integral radially extending arm `havinga projection a ay from said serrated side of the disk, a serrated face rigid with said shock absorber andro-operating with said serrated face of the mounting device, said serrated faces being rigidly secured together by said bolt.

In combination with a strap operated shock absorber adapted to be secured to a vehicle frame, a bolt extending' through said shock absorber and frame, a mounting device cooperating with Said bolt for securing said shock absorber to said frame consisting of a hub portion against one face of which a face ot said shock absorber abuts, said hub being formed with abolt hole and having a rigid radially extending arm having a project-ion away from said hub face, the abutting faces of the hub and shock absorber having interengaging portions aifording means for rotatably adjusting said shock absorber upon said hub and being rigidly secured together by said bolt.

7. In a shock absorber in combination with a fixed druni, aflexible connector wound upon the drinn for friction thereabout; a springl coiled about the drum axis having its outer end connected with a flexible con* nector, means mounted for rotation relatively to the fixed drum about the axis of the drum, the inner end of the spring being secured to said means, and means forming a permanent part of the structure and adapted for manually operating said rotatable springsecuring means for tensioning the spring.y

8. In a shock absorber in combination with Va fixed drum, a flexible kconnector wound upon the drinn for friction thereabout; a spring coiled about the drum axis having its outer end connected with the iexible connector, a fixed stud bolt at the f center of the drum, a casing comprising a main member adapted to be mounted i'ixedly with respect to the vehicle, and a cover member for enclosing the spring and a drum; means extending from the fixed member out through the cover member for retaining the latter in relation to the former; a part to which the inner end of the spring is secured mounted rotatably on said bolt and extend' ing thereon out through the cover; means applied to the protruding end of the bolt stopping said spring-engaging part longitu dinally of the bolt, and means outside the cover and behind said stopping means on the end of the bolt constituting a permanent part of the struct-ure engaged for rotation with said rotatable spring engaging part and manually operable for rotation of the same to tension the spring.

9. In the construction defined in claim 7,

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4 Lamas-2 foregoing, the ineens engaged witl1` llie spring, and hold the spring engaging niemspringengaging pertlfor tensioning the ber againstreverse rotation by the reaction spring comprising spring lingers pressing 0f the spring. i y 1o upon the outer surface of the cover for l1old- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set ing the saine to the 11min member of `the my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 23rd day easing, and serving for manual engagement oi? A pril, 1923.

nomen n. WHEELER.

Yfor rotating said member to tension `the L 

